There are a number of interesting pieces of news out in the EV sector today. A quick re-cap:

Pike Research has produced a report predicting cumulative global sales of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs) of 5.2 million by 2017, up from just under 114,000 vehicles in 2011. By the same year, cumulative sales of hybrids (HEVs) such as the Prius are forecast to represent an additional 8.7 million vehicles, for a combined total of 13.9 million units in all electrified vehicle categories. That would put PEV and HEV sales at 3% of total light-duty vehicle sales in 2017. In North America that number is expected to be 4.9%. You can read Pike’s press release here and an Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

The State of Oregon’s Department of Transportation is pushing further ahead with its contribution to the Pacific Coast Green Highway, envisioned to provide a quick-charging network on highways from Los Angeles to Seattle. In this latest step, a federally-funded contract has been awarded to EV-charger manufacturer AeroVironment to install 22 high-speed EV chargers along the state’s highways. This follows a similar contract from Washington State for AeroVironment to install 9 rapid chargers along Interstate 5. These Level 3 480-volt rapid chargers can provide a 19 kwh charge to a Leaf for example in 30 minutes. Some other EVs can be charged more rapidly. They will each be paired with less expensive Level 2 240-volt chargers which can do the same in 6 hours but which can provide a useful service for drivers requiring a simple end-of-journey top-up. The City of Portland is also establishing an ‘Electric Avenue’ in downtown Portland.

Fisker Automotive, which has now started deliveries of the $96,000 PHEV Fisker Karma, appears to be seeking a final $200m in ‘pre-IPO’ financing. In the last eight months the company has raised $290m in three successful financing rounds. This latest deal, if successful, would reportedly put the company’s market value at $2.2bn.

Ford has reported to AutoObserver that it will start deliveries of its Focus battery-electric vehicle (BEV) in California and New York near the end of this year. Dealers in other markets such as Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Washington DC will receive deliveries in the spring of 2012. The Focus BEV has a 70-mile single-charge range, similar to that offered by the Nissan Leaf. However, the company claims that its 23 kwh battery pack can be charged with a Level 2 240-volt charger in 3-4 hours – almost twice as fast as the Leaf.